(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fifth wheel hitch assembly for mounting on a vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a fifth wheel hitch assembly in which the fifth wheel head has an adaptor which enables the hitch assembly to be mounted on the hitch ball of a gooseneck subassembly. A complete flexible bearing is provided around the hitch ball to allow flexible, frictionless mounting of the fifth wheel hitch on the gooseneck subassembly. The mounting of the fifth wheel hitch on the gooseneck subassembly allows the fifth wheel hitch assembly to have a range of movement similar to a ball and socket joint. The ability of the fifth wheel hitch assembly to tilt in any direction allows ease of engagement of the fifth wheel trailer which enables a user to easily couple or uncouple the trailer being towed even when the trailer is situated on an uneven ground surface.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has shown various types of fifth wheel hitch assemblies and gooseneck hitch assemblies. Illustrative are U.S. Pat. Nos. Re 16,109 to Mattia; 2,416,502 to Thompson; 2,784,009 to Braunberger; 3,820,821 to Leland; 3,941,407 to Breford; 4,527,935 to Fortenberry and 5,143,393 to Meyer. However, a common problem with prior art hitch assemblies is that the hitch connections become bound up or jammed when the trailer being towed is placed on an uneven ground surface. This makes coupling and uncoupling of the hitches very difficult. Therefore, there remains a need for a fifth wheel assembly which is capable of being mounted on the hitch ball of a gooseneck subassembly and which is easily coupled or uncoupled to the trailer even when the trailer is positioned on an uneven surface.
OBJECTS
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which combines the virtues of a fifth wheel assembly and a gooseneck assembly in a single assembly. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which is mounted on the hitch ball of a gooseneck subassembly. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly having a bearing which provides a shock absorbing (cushioning) action to the fifth wheel assembly. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of mounting a fifth wheel hitch assembly on a gooseneck subassembly which is mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which has a complete bearing for encasing the hitch ball to provide a movable and reduced friction mounting of the fifth wheel assembly on the hitch ball of the gooseneck subassembly. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which remains in an upright position when not in use and returns to this position after usage. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which is easily manufactured by simple modification of a standard fifth wheel hitch. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system which is easily convertible from a gooseneck to a fifth wheel and back again. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fifth wheel hitch assembly which is easy to mount on the hitch ball of a gooseneck subassembly. These and other objects will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings.